A machine tool facility, provided with a pallet stocker for storing a plurality of pallets to each of which a workpiece is mounted and a pallet changer for changing pallets between machine tools and the pallet stocker, has been known in the art.
For example, PLT 1 describes a machine tool facility provided with a machine tool, which processes a workpiece mounted to a vertically oriented pallet, and a pallet stocker, disposed adjacent the machine tool, for storing a plurality of vertically oriented pallets, and a pallet changer for changing vertically oriented pallets between the machine tool and the pallet stocker.
Further, PLT 2 describes a machine tool facility provided with a stocker adjacent a machine tool, a buffer provided in the stocker, a preparation station attached to the stocker, a carrier mechanism disposed above the stocker for moving reciprocally in the longitudinal direction of the stocker, a lifter mechanism disposed on the carrier mechanism, provided for moving reciprocally in the vertical direction, for holding a pallet, and an operation controller for controlling the carrier mechanism based on the addresses corresponding to the positions of the pallets.
Furthermore, PLT 3 describes a machine tool facility including one or more machine tools, multistage stacking pallet stockers, and a conveyer means for conveying a workpiece.